Mechanical contraceptives



April 14, 1964 J. c. YOUNG 3,128,762

MECHANICAL CONTRACEPTIVES Filed Aug. 25, 1.961

INVENTOR John C. Young United States Patent Ofiice 3,128,762 Patented Apr. 14., 1964 3,128,762 MECHANICAL CONTRACEPTIVES John C. Young, 135 S. Hiland Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa. Filed Aug. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 133,378 8 Claims. (Cl. 128-127) This invention relates to mechanical contraceptives and particularly to a mechanical contraceptive or pessary which is positioned in the vagina at or near and surrounding the cervix by a firm male organ. This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 119,506 filed June 26, 1961.

The need for a simple, inexpensive means for contraception has become increasingly acute. Many areas of the earth suffer from famine, disease, poverty and squalor because of their excessively high and completely uncontrolled birth rate. No really simple, effective means of aiding in the control of this problem has been achieved.

Many types of pessaries and diaphragm type contraceptives have been proposed. These, however, take some skill in their successful application, usually require some special mechanical device for insertion and, in many cases, medical skill in fitting. Such devices are not feasible for those underdeveloped and uneducated areas of the world where they are most needed. There are available male contraceptives, but those are, in general, unsatisfactory and not adapted for reuse and are for that and other reasons not satisfactory in such underdeveloped areas.

I have invented a contraceptive device which solves these problems. I provide a pessary type contraceptive which does not require special skill or mechanical equipment for installation, and which is reusable and effective in that, once installed, there is no further hindrance to natural copulation.

Preferably, I provide a generally cylindrical member of foamed elastomer such as rubber, neoprene, polyure thane or the like having a generally saucershaped or reversed saucershaped configuration adapted to cover the cervix area and frictionally engage the walls of the vaginal passage thereabout, a cylindrical sheath portion at the opposite end adapted to removably engage a portion of a firm member.

In the foregoing general description of my invention, I have set out certain objects, advantages and purposes. Other objects, advantages and purposes will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a sectional view showing one of the embodiments of this invention in place;

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of the embodiment of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the embodiment of FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of my invention;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of a third embodiment of my invention;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of a fourth embodiment of my invention;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of a fifth embodiment of my invention;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view of a sixth embodiment of my invention; and

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view of a seventh embodiment of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, I have illustrated a generally cylindrical member 10 of foamed elastomeric material, preferably rubber, of sufficient rigidity and resilience to bear against the walls of the vaginal passage 11 and provided with a saucershaped portion 11a at one end to surround the cervix 12 at or near it, to seal it from the vaginal passage. A cylindrical sheath portion 13 is formed at the end opposite the saucershaped portion. The sheath 13 is adapted to be loosely but firmly removably placed on a firm member and is placed in the final position shown in FIGURE 1 by reason of the engagement of the walls of the vaginal passage on the periphery of cylinder 10 by the completion of the inward original stroke of the firm member. Thereafter upon beginning of withdrawal of the firm member the cylinder 10 and its accompanying sheath 13 are left in proper position as in FIGURE 1.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 4, I have illustrated a contraceptive device made up of a cylindrical foam elastomer member 20 having a convex end 21 adapted to abut the cervix of a wearer and a sheath portion 22 at the opposite end precisely as in FIGURES l, 2 and 3.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 5, I have illustrated still another form of my invention similar to that of FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 but provided with a saucerlike end 25 of greater concavity.

FIGURE 6 illustrates an embodiment in which the cylindrical member is perfectly flat at one end 30 and provided with a formed sheath portion 31 at the opposite end.

FIGURE 7 illustrates a form in which the sheath portion 35 is defined by a groove 36 around the cylindrical elastomer member 37.

FIGURE 8 shows a form of my invention similar to that of FIGURES 1-3 provided with a sheath 40 attached to the sponge rubber body at the opening of the sheath portion 13a of the body 10a.

FIGURE 9 shows a sponge rubber body 45 having lips or flanges 46 surrounding the sheath portion 47 which receives the firm member.

It is obvious, of course, that the device of this invention could be inserted by using an applicator rod, a cylindrical object, or a finger, without the cooperation of the male.

While I have illustrated and described certain presently preferred embodiments of my invention hereinabove, it will be understood that this invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a contraceptive device, a generally cylindrical foamed elastomer member adapted to engage the walls of a vaginal passage in uniform sealing relation, a cervix contacting portion at one end of said member, and the other end provided with integral sheath means on said member said sheath defining a cavity having re-entrant inside wall surfaces with the innermost end of said cavity being spaced from said contacting portion to define an impervious wall portion therebetween, said sheath means adapted to releasably engage a firm member for placement in said vaginal passage by completion of the original inward stroke and released from said firm member by engagement of the said member by said vaginal passage when the original back stroke of the firm member begins.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said one end is of a saucerlike concave form.

3. In a device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said one end is of a convex form.

4. In a device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said one end is of planar form.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said cylinder is provided with an annular groove about the periphery adjacent the inner end of the sheath portion.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cylindrical member is of foamed rubber.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cylindrical member is of foamed neoprene.

I a 4 8. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cylin- 2,141,026 Valle Dec. 20, 1938 drical member is of foamed polyurethane 2,298,752 Crockford Oct. 13, 1942 2,580,133 Sheen Dec. 25, 1951 References Cited in the file of this patent 2,704,068 Beranek Mar. 15, 1955 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,480,680 Glover Ian. 15, 1924 171,865 Switzerland Dec. 1, 1934 

1. IN A CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICE, A GENERALLY CYHLINDRICAL FOAMED ELEASTOMER MEMBER ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE WALLS OF A VAGINAL PASSAGE IN UNIFORM SEALING RELATION, A CERVIX CONTACTING PORTION AT ONE END OF SAID MEMBER, AND THE OTHER END PROVIDED WITH INTEGRAL SHEATH MEANS ON SAID MEMBER SID SHEATH DEFINING A CAVITY HAVING RE-ENTRANT INSIDE WALLS SURFACES WITH THE INNERMOST END OF SAID CAVITY BEING SPACED FROM SAID CONTACTING PORTION TO DEFINE AN IMPERVIOUS WALL PORTION THEREBETWEEN, SAID SHEATH MEANS ADAPTED TO RELEASABLY ENGAGE A FIRM MEMBER FOR PLACEMENT IN SAID VAGINAL PASSAGE COMPLETION OF THE ORIGINAL INWARD STROKE AND RELEASED FROM SAID FIRM MEMBER BY ENGAGEMENT OF THE SAID MEMBER BY SAID VAGINAL PASSAGE WHEN THE ORIGINAL BACK STROKE OF THE FIRM MEMBER BEGINS. 